RELEASE: Abrams for Governor Campaign Statement on 53,000 Voter Registration Applications on Hold with Secretary of State’s OfficeBrian Kemp using power of office to silence the voices of thousands of eligible votersATLANTA -- Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that more than 53,000 voter registration applications are on hold with the Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office. The report states that the Secretary of State’s office uses the “exact match” registration verification process that disproportionately impacts voters of color. Nearly 70 percent of the voter registrations on hold are from Black Georgians.Today, Abrams for Governor Director of Strategic Communication Abigail Collazo released the following statement in response to the AP’s report:“As he has done for years, Brian Kemp is maliciously wielding the power of his office to suppress the vote for political gain and silence the voices of thousands of eligible voters - the majority of them people of color.This isn’t incompetence; it’s malpractice. It is no surprise that Kemp is reprising these tactics now when multiple recent polls show his race against Stacey Abrams to be a dead heat, as her message of jobs, health care, and public education is resonating with voters. The Secretary of State’s office must do away with the discriminatory “exact match” program and process all voter registrations immediately. In addition, Brian Kemp needs to resign his position, so that Georgia voters can have confidence that their Secretary of State competently and impartially oversee this election.”###